Advice on Joining the Gas Trade

[TheTallOne]

I'm seriously looking at changing careers from IT and becoming a domestic gas engineer, and was looking for any words of advice. My plan is to train, get a few years of experience, then go self-employed.

The three training options I've found so far are
- 6 / 7 month courses
- 2 / 3 year NVQ college course with work placement
- British gas academy

I know the 6 / 7 month course won't give me enough experience, and I'd like to do something a bit more intensive than just one day a week at college so will probably aim for the British gas academy. Has anyone been on this course and what's your opinion? I'd like to start off installing CH systems, then move onto servicing and breakdowns. I guess I'd be tied in to working with BG for a while after qualifying. Any comments on what they're really like to work for.
Are there any other companies that offer apprenticeship course or training options (I'm 30 and based in the midlands)?

I'd also like to hear what you think of the job itself either employed, self employed or contracting. Any advice you could give would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark.

 

[kevplumb]

best advice i can give you emigrate

 

[Gasguru]

Forget it..it's a dying buisiness

Full of cowboys

Regulations aren't enforced so anyone with a conscience (and any buisiness ethics) can't ccompete on price/time.

Roque insurance companies are taking all the buisness and giving it back to us as non-viable rates.

Boiler quality has dropped through the floor so you spend half your time fixing design faults.

Parts are getting more and more expensive making repairs unviable.

Boilers are becomming much more difficult to repair..due to terrible design eg access to parts.

Parasites are dreaming up more and more courses/assesments to do (that are by and large worthless since the majority ignore).

Huge influx of CC/CCC's into the industry.

Massive low cost unqualified/poor quality labour from abroad to compete with.

The public resent spending any money on heating/hot water (the number one essential to modern life )

The countries in recession.

Etc.

Etc.

 

[petit_pablo]

BG have an age limit on apprenticships. I believe its 24 or 25.
Joining BG after this age would mean training as a service engineer.

Regards to tie-ins after training, my contract ties me to BG for 2 years after passing ACS.

 

[mcniven]

Emigrate to where mate?

Aussieland?

 

[kevplumb]

you could do worse

the states aint bad either

as long as it aint this one

 

[gas4you]

Where does this image that gas work is good and lucrative come from?

Forget the media, there are way too many gas operatives about already, let alone the foreign cr*p cowboys working for nothing

Send 'em all back home, vote BNP

 

[kevplumb]

ahh but look back 10 yrs dave there was a shortage and we all made big bucks

yer missed the gravy train fella

 

[Agile]

I'm seriously looking at changing careers from IT and becoming a domestic gas engineer,

Thanks,
Mark.

Can you tell us what attracts you to this industry?

Also can you give a five year salary projection?

Tony

PS I did a boiler repair last week for a GP. They have average earnings of £95,000 pa. Dont you think thats a better profession?

 

[gas4you]

OK, be realistic here. What if I wanted to get into IT? If I paid for a course to get Microsoft certified would I be experienced enough to be employed by a top paying IT company?

NO, no course in any trade will teach you experience. This is what can only be learnt from years on the tools and fixing many f**k ups.

Paper qualifications count for zilch. You know that already being in IT don't you

 

[wms]

The courses you speak of come at a premium.
one of our brickies has it in his head he wants to train as a gas engineer.
so along came Miss parasite allegedly very pretty to advise him on his career choices.(he probably spent more time looking than listening)

told him they could get him to corgi competent in two years for 6 to 8 hours a week study

Cost £11,500 yes,you read it right Eleven thousand five hundred pounds.

the following day a guy rang him,and he said let me put my gaffer on as he is corgi registered himself .so this muppet then tried to sell the idea to me that he could be corgi competent in two years. until I reminded him that this would still not allow him to work on gas on his own ah well technically you are correct was his reply, upon further questioning.I had more knowledge in my back pocket than the muppet who was setting up the courses.

so message to the tall one!

when doing your 5 year forecast do not forget to deduct the £11,500.00 before you start plus 832 hours of your time for qualifications that you will struggle to get an interview at most companies with. gas guru is right the trade is no where near it used to be. luckily for us we have a building company.and window manufacturing co so do not rely soley on plumbing and gas work.

sorry for long post but BEWARE OF THE PARASITES. and yes moderators thats shouting.

 

[kevplumb]

ang on IT wasnt that a movie by thar speilberg fella

 

[gasacs]

The hardest thing you will find is an engineer to work alongside for 70 days minimum on gas work who is corgi registered. Without this expierience you will not be allowed to sit your ACS exams whatever college course you have taken. My advice is get this work placement first before you quit your IT job and spend your hard earned on any courses. All the evidence has to be saved in a portfolio. On the courses we run you have to supply written evidence from the Corgi installer and we visit you on site to check out your work.

 

[TheTallOne]

Thanks for the replies so far. Just to be clear, I don't have any intention of going for a short term course as I realise that experience is what counts. Hence my question about the British Gas Academy and the quality of their course.
As an alternative to the BG course, my gut feeling is that courses offered by educational establishments would be better than those run by commercial training companies looking to train you for several thousand pounds, as they're ultimately set up with the aim of making profits.

 

[gasacs]

Thanks for the replies so far. Just to be clear, I don't have any intention of going for a short term course as I realise that experience is what counts. Hence my question about the British Gas Academy and the quality of their course.
As an alternative to the BG course, my gut feeling is that courses offered by educational establishments would be better than those run by commercial training companies looking to train you for several thousand pounds, as they're ultimately set up with the aim of making profits.

So are colleges, in fact there is more incentive for a college to ensure everybody gets through an NVQ as they get funding units. I have a vested interest here as I run a commercial centre, although previously I worked for a local college. In fact our gas course works out cheaper than an NVQ if you are paying the full amount ie not funded by job seekers allowannce etc.